Aztecs go to the San Diego Zoo

One by one, they lowered themselves to half-squats -- hands on knees -- and waited expectantly.

Then came the kiss. A big slobbery symbol of affection from an overzealous sea lion.

"His whiskers kinda tickled, and you kinda want to move away, but it's like, 'Can I move yet?'" said San Diego State cornerback Josh Wade, who was one of seven lucky Aztecs who got to pucker up for a sea lion at the San Diego Zoo Tuesday morning.

Day 2 of Poinsettia Bowl week dawned overcast with gale-force winds forecasted for the morning. But the Aztecs managed to get in an early morning visit to the zoo before the rain began.

"It's pretty neat to go to the zoo with the team, and we got to go to SeaWorld yesterday, so it's pretty fun," said safety Nat Berhe. "It's fun to just kinda be relaxed with your teammates."